ASEAN QUALIFICATIONS REFERENCE FRAMEWORK

Concept Note No. 1—

Non-formal and Informal Learning                          

This  concept  note1  is  the  first  in  the  ASEAN  Qualifications  Reference  Framework  (AQRF)  Series.  This  note  documents  the  agreed  understanding  of  the  AMS  on:  

• The  role  the  AQRF  to  encourage  the  quality  assurance  of  all  learning  achievements    • The  importance  of  recognising  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  • The  need  to  encourage  the  development  of  national  approaches  to  validation  of  

non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning.    

Non-­‐formal  and  Informal  Learning  The  basis  of  the  ASEAN  Qualifications  Reference  Framework  (AQRF)  is  that  it  is  comprehensive  in  its  capacity  to  accommodate  quality  assured  learning  achievements  (including  qualifications)  gained  in  the  ASEAN  Member  States  (AMS).  Therefore  one  of  the  principles  of  the  AQRF  is  that  it  should  encourage  the  development  of  national  approaches  to  validating  learning  gained  outside  formal  education  and  training  including  learning  gained  in  work  and  learning  gained  unintentionally  in  everyday  life.  These  areas  of  learning  are  often  referred  to  as  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning.     Non-­‐formal  learning  can  be  considered  to  be  the  learning  outcomes  gained  in  planned  activities  in  work  (such  as  in-­‐company  training)  and  in  communities  where  people  join  together  to  develop  common  interests  (such  as  art  and  crafts  or  cooking).        Informal  learning  is  gained  during  activities  related  to  work,  family  or  leisure  where  there  is  no  explicit  plan  for  learning  and  learning  is  unintentional  from  the  learner  perspective.  Examples  of  learning  outcomes  acquired  through  informal  learning  are  languages  learned  during  a  stay  in  another  country  or  through  activities  at  home  such  as  taking  care  of  a  child  or  elderly  person.    Validation  is  the  process  where  the  assessment  of  learning  gained  in  non-­‐formal  and  informal  settings  is  checked  against  a  set  of  standards  (e.g.  occupational  standards  or  educational  standards).  If  the  assessed  learning  is  confirmed  as  meeting  these  standards  the  person  can  make  them  visible  in  a  CV  or  seek  to  have  them  recognised  in  a  programme,  qualification  or  certificate.      During  the  development  process  of  the  AQRF  all  of  the  AMS  made  it  clear  that  the  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  within  their  country  is  a  priority  development  either  in  one  education  and  training  sector  or  across  all  sectors.  In  most  countries  the  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  was  regarded  as  underdeveloped  and  a  challenging  innovation.  Whilst  some  countries  have  well-­‐established  systems  working  in  TVET  and  higher  education,  and  some  countries  have  systems  in  place  based  on  competency  standards,  other  AMS  are  starting  the  development  validation  policy  and  practice.  Some  AMS  have  established  assessment  centres  and  other  countries  have  firm  plans  to  do  so.  The  assessment  centres  work  to  validate  learning  based  on,  for  example,  educational  and  occupational  standards.    Countries  have  different  priority  groups  of  stakeholders  that  would  benefit  from  better  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning.  These  groups  include  dropouts  from  school  and  work,  people  being  given  a  second  chance  to  complete  their  basic  schooling,  people  who  have  skills  but  are  not  formally  qualified  and  finally  people  who  are  engaging  in  work  based  training.  

  1 Draft prepared by Mike Coles and Andrea Bateman (2015) with support from ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA Economic Cooperation Support Programme (AECSP).

Principles  for  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  in  ASEAN  Countries   The  AMS  have  discussed  and  agreed  on  a  set  of  principles  that  forms  the  basis  of  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  that  is  linked  to  the  AQRF.      Principles   The  process  for  validation…  Fully  integrated     • is  a  component  part  of  a  coherent  qualifications  system  

Open  access   • is  independent  of  the  route  to  learning;  focusses  on  only  achievement  of  learning  outcomes  

• is  available  to  all  individuals  and  is  affordable  • includes  adequate  support  to  applicants  to  identify  and  document  

evidence  • is  supported  by  information  for  individuals,  employers,  voluntary  

organisations  and  learning  providers.  Fairness   • includes  adequate  support  to  applicants  for  identifying  and  

documenting  evidence  • support  recognition  including  certification    

Standards  based   • is  based  on  the  same  expectations  in  terms  of  the  learning  outcomes  that  are  used  by  formal  qualifications  system.    

Quality  Assured   • requires  assessment  to  be  transparent  and  support  valid  and  reliable  judgements    

• is  incorporated  into  quality  assurance  processes    These  principles  underpin  the  AMS  commitment  to  making  the  AQRF  support  work  towards  recognition  of  a  wide  range  of  learning  from  any  setting  for  that  learning:  formal,  non-­‐formal,  informal.  Thus  the  principles  are  intended  to  support  a  national  practical  approach  that  would  be  a  response  to  the  AQRF  principle  of  broad  recognition  of  learning.  The  AQRF  could  provide  a  focus  for  the  exchange  of  effective  arrangements  for  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning.  

Referencing  NQFs  to  the  ARQF  The  AMS,  in  the  process  of  referencing,  will  need  to  explain  how  all  quality  assured  learning  can  be  linked  to  AQRF  levels.  Thus  the  AMS  will  explain  how  the  national  developments  in  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  can,  or  will  in  the  future,  lead  to  qualifications  that  will,  through  the  NQF,  be  linked  to  AQRF  levels.      Each  AMS’  referencing  report  will  explain  the  standards  that  are  used  for  validating  non-­‐formal  learning  such  as  occupational  standards,  programme  standards  and  assessment  standards.  The  report  will  also  explain  the  strategies  used  to  encourage  the  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  and  how  assessment  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  is  carried  out  and  the  quality  assurance  arrangements  that  are  used  to  promote  valid  and  reliable  judgements.    

NQFs  are  effective  tools    Generally  speaking  qualifications  frameworks  classify  achievements  in  learning  gained  in  formal  settings  (e.g.  colleges,  universities,  training  centres).  However,  a  lot  of  learning  is  gained  outside  these  formal  settings,  for  example  in  work,  in  leisure  activities,  in  life  generally.  Often  the  knowledge  and  skills  gained  in  these  non-­‐formal  and  informal  settings  has  relevance  to  the  content  of  learning  programmes  and  to  what  is  needed  in  work.  For  example:  

• someone  who  has  spent  some  years  caring  for  an  elderly  parent  may  have  skills  that  are  valued  in  clinics  and  hospitals;  

• someone  who  has  run  a  successful  small  business  may  have  knowledge  and  skills  that  are  part  of  a  business  administration  degree;  

• someone  who  has  renovated  small  boats  in  their  spare  time  may  have  gained  marine  engine  expertise  that  would  be  valued  in  a  boat  repair  yard.  

 Qualifications  frameworks  need  not  be  limited  to  formal  education  and  training  and  can  help  to  make  learning  gained  outside  formal  settings  more  visible.  There  are  several  ways  frameworks  help  with  this.      NQFs  define  learning  levels  and  these  are  independent  of  routes  to  learning  or  pathways.  This  means  that  if  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning  can  be  assessed  and  validated  it  can  be  formally  recognised.      The  most  important  aspect  of  frameworks  for  making  all  learning  visible  is  encouraging  the  use  of  learning  outcomes.  Learning  outcomes  can  make  it  much  easier  for  a  person  to:  (i) appreciate  that  they  have  learning  that  could  be  useful  to  them  if  it  were  made  more  

visible  (in  a  qualification,  in  a  curriculum  vitae).  (ii) express  their  learning  in  ways  which  are  conducive  to  matching  standards  used  in  

work  and  education;  (iii) have  their  learning  assessed;  (iv) have  their  achievements  recognised  in  a  partial  or  full  qualification.    Thus  it  is  through  NQFs  that  the  AQRF  can  encourage  the  greater  use  of  validation  of  non-­‐formal  and  informal  learning.